9-1-1: Nashville Premiere Review - ABC's Campy Soap Opera Procedural

If you think the 9-1-1 franchise cannot get any campier, ABC just debuted 9-1-1: Nashville — the newest offering in the universe that marries soap opera elements with primetime procedural. Not long after the end of 9-1-1: Lone Star, Ryan Murphy didn’t waste any time working on expanding its first-responder world with a brand new offshoot. As the title suggests, 9-1-1: Nashville takes place in Tenesse and learns on country music as an additional hook to the franchise’s usual procedural fare.

Fronted by industry veterans such as Chris O’Donnell, Jessica Capshaw, and LeAnn Rhimes, a lot is riding on 9-1-1: Nashville in terms of Murphy’s reach on broadcast TV. Despite ABC’s insistence, Doctor Odyssey is now effectively canceled. Meanwhile, 9-1-1 is coming off the divisive death of Bobby Nash in season 8.

Admittedly, there are some justified concerns about 9-1-1: Nashville. For starters, it seems to have some overlap with 9-1-1: Lone Star, at least in terms of setting. Secondly, it takes a risk by making it more dramatic, to the point that it’s almost a soap opera in primetime. Amid all these challenges, “Pilot” is good enough for people to be intrigued.

9-1-1: Nashville Makes It Clear That Its Family Story WIll Be At The Center Of Its Narrative

From the get-go, 9-1-1: Nashville makes it clear that the show is motivated by the family drama of Don Hart. By the time the series starts, Firehouse 113 is already an established entity, with the older Hart having his son, Ryan as his second-in-command. The events of 9-1-1: Nashville, however, truly kick off when Hart’s illegitimate son, Blue, enters the picture.

Launching a first-responder procedural with a strip dance that leads to a major family bombshell is quite bold. At some points, 9-1-1: Nashville episode 1 gets a little too ridiculous — both in terms of where the story is going and the dialog itself. One of the minor calls in “Pilot” involves a kid getting carried by her kite, which is resolved with a silly human net.

9-1-1: Nashville‘s first hour also includes the Hart father and son in a horse show, with their matriarch, Blythe, watching on the sidelines. Somehow, this part of the procedural is reminiscent of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone, with Don and Blythe seemingly like an alternative version of Rip and Beth. Moving forward, it’s expected that their family dynamic will be scrutinized further, especially as Blue becomes a part of their lives.

As if that isn’t chaotic enough, Rhimes’ Dixie is a ticking time-bomb. Positioned as the overall villain of the show, her scrappy and no-nonsense character going up against the more poised and uppity Blythe is arguably the most exciting showdown. Their conflict truly solidifies 9-1-1: Nashville as a soap opera in primetime.

9-1-1: Nashville Knows What It Is, & That Makes It Worth The Watch

The good thing about 9-1-1: Nashville is that it knows exactly what it is. Episode 1 gives camp, family drama, and exaggerated cases, and it’s safe to assume that it will further lean on this moving forward. Once you recognize that, it becomes much easier to watch and even enjoy.

Murphy knows that 9-1-1: Nashville is not a serious series, much like the other installments in the 9-1-1 franchise, and that is totally fine. Cases are out of this world and the characters feel like they are borderline superheroes. In the case of the latest spinoff, it adds the element of ridiculous personal backgrounds and almost laughable twists.

Truth be told, not everyone will like 9-1-1: Nashville. Maybe some would even look down on it — a curse that network TV shows have been dealing with for years despite producing some critically-acclaimed projects like Abbott Elementary and Doctor Odyssey. But for those who enjoy a good procedural and a relaxed weekly watch, it’s worth checking out based on 9-1-1: Nashville‘s premiere episode.